Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound. Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold onto this lullaby even when the music's gone. ~ Taylor Swift, Safe & Sound
BPOV
"You're a lucky little guy, you know that? You get to meet your mom in a little bit when she wakes up and she's the best. She's the bravest person I know, but sometimes still needs someone to protect her. That's our job, now. I'll keep it up for a while, but once you grow up a bit she's going to need you, too, okay?"
I sighed, forcing my eyelids open even though it felt like they weighed fifty pounds. My mind was fuzzy, but when I tilted my head to the right I saw everything I needed to know. Edward, sitting in a chair right next to me, holding a tiny bundle of blue.
I tried to sit up as Edward stood, but hissed as a sharp pain shot through my entire body.
"No, don't move." Edward maneuvered the baby to one arm like a pro and pressed a button that made the bed move so I was sitting up. It still hurt a little bit, but it was bearable. Then he set the little bundle on my chest.
A baby.
My baby.
Our baby.
He squirmed a little bit against me, but quickly got himself comfortable enough to fall back asleep. All I could do was stare at him. He was tiny and warm against me and had the cutest chubby cheeks I had ever seen.
It was only when Edward reached down and wiped my cheeks that I realized I was crying. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and sat back down in his chair, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
"We made him," I said in awe, watching every tiny movement he made, feeling his heartbeat against my own. I looked over at Edward and he just smiled at me, resting his head on the edge of the bed and staring at me.
"You're amazing," he said simply, but honestly. I scoffed. "But, there are some things –"
He got cut off by the door opening and a swarm of nurses coming in. All I wanted was to be alone with my husband and baby, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen any time soon. They taught me how to breastfeed which was… odd. They checked me out repeatedly, asking how I was feeling before Hartman came in. Someone, I wasn't sure who, took the baby from me and set him in his own little crib when she arrived.
Edward sat next to me and squeezed my hand as she talked. I could tell they were both expecting me to have some sort of breakdown over what she was saying, but I didn't. I expected something like this. Maybe not something as drastic as emergency surgery after the cesarean, but I knew this was our only shot. Hartman made it very clear that this wasn't like last time when I was told I couldn't have children. This was a definite.
Hearing those words this time wasn't as daunting, maybe because I had Edward right next to me and heard the soft breathing of my son in the corner. If I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to put myself through another pregnancy anyway, not with the complications we had at the very end. It wasn't safe for me or another child.
I kept my eyes between Edward and the baby, the only ones I really wanted around. Everything felt weird, new in a way. I didn't really know what to do with myself as the doctors and nurses poked and prodded and told me how much pain I would be in for the next few days. I tried to get them to discharge me today but Hartman, and Edward, quickly shut that down. I glared at Edward after he sided with Hartman, but he simply shrugged and said he wasn't going to take any chances.
Finally, everyone was gone and Edward and I were left alone with our little one. He was sleeping peacefully in my arms.
"Do you think the name fits him?" I asked Edward as he sat in the chair next to me.
He ran a finger along my bare arm. "Yes, do you?"
It had taken me a long time to decide on a name combination that I liked. I knew I wanted Edward represented in there, though I hated Jr names. Alec already had the middle name of Edward, so I didn't have that as an option. If his first name was Anthony I knew he would get nicknamed Tony, and I hated that name.
Edward had told me that he didn't need a family name, but I liked the idea of it. I never had a strong sense of family loyalty growing up, but I did now. I was proud to be a Cullen, and I liked the thought of my son carrying not only Edward's name, but another one as well.
I had met a lot of Edward's family over the years, and most were very kind to me. I had plenty of options for male family names, but one I hadn't met had kept coming back to me. He had shown me compassion and kindness for something that didn't necessarily deserve it, but it did in this family. He had left me something obviously very valuable to him, one of his wife's prized possessions. He thanked me for protecting his family and hadn't seemed to blame me for anything Carlisle and Esme were so quick to do.
A few quick knocks distracted me from my thoughts. I looked over at Edward who frowned at the door as it opened.
"Can we please come in?" Alice said, taking a small step into the room. I smiled and nodded, and she entered followed by Jasper, Emmett, and Rose. They came with what seemed like a whole gift shop full of balloons and stuffed animals and flowers.
Everyone crowded around me, all eyes on the little one in my arms.
"Do you have a name?" Rose asked softly.
I looked at Edward, and he gave me a nod. Decision made. "Aiden Anthony Cullen."
…Dark…
For me, the whole parent thing was turning out to be easier than the pregnancy part. I wasn't wracked with fear every second of the day that something I had no control over would go wrong. For a majority of the day, I had my son and my husband right by my side.
Of course, it had only been about a week since we had brought Aiden home, but things were going much more smoothly than I expected. Edward and I were both used to only getting a few hours of sleep, so that wasn't that big of an adjustment for us.
The hardest part for me so far was the physical strain I was still under. There were still moments of pain if I moved the wrong way from the cesarean and subsequent surgery. Stairs were a bitch to go up and down, and even though Edward told me to ask him whenever I needed anything I still did most of it myself. I usually came back upstairs to a glare from him.
But, I was tired of being so dependent. The pregnancy made me feel like an entirely different person. I was whiney and uncomfortable with myself and I hated it. I was finally starting to feel a little more like myself and I wanted to be able to walk down some stairs alone.
Aiden was enjoying himself in some swinging contraption that captured his attention as he rocked. I sat on the couch, one eye on him and the other going through the pictures I had uploaded to my computer. I had become one of those people that thought every little thing the guy did was adorable, but I had no shame about it. He was pretty fucking cute.
One second Aiden and I were enjoying the peace and quiet and the next my living room was full of people. Our family, including Maggie, Jared, and Alec, and there were some others as well. Elena, which surprised me, then Heidi and Kate. Kate!
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I walked over to her as quickly as I could, giving her a hug.
"Alice invited us to a surprise party for you. We didn't realize it was a surprise baby shower," she said, smiling at me through her sarcasm.
"Well, I know why you had to postpone everything now," Heidi said with a smile.
Turning back toward everyone else, I saw all of the supplies they had with them. Decorations, food, and presents filled the room now. "You guys really don't –"
"Don't bother, Bella. This is happening," Alice said, throwing some decorations along the coffee table. "It was supposed to happen a few days ago, but you went ahead and popped early. We had to improvise."
I wasn't usually one for parties centered around myself, but I was actually excited at spending time with everyone here. It had been the strangest week of my life, and being around family might be a nice way to bring some normalcy back.
"Let me just go change into something less… vomit covered," I cringed, knowing the plain t-shirt I was wearing had at least a stain or two on it. When I got upstairs I knocked softly on Edward's office door. He was on the phone when I peeked my head in, but waved me inside as he finished his conversation.
"Did you know about the impromptu party currently happening downstairs?" I asked when he hung up the phone.
"What? That's not until –" he looked at the clock and cursed under his breath. "I was going to warn you beforehand. I'm sorry."
I shrugged. "It's okay. It's a good surprise." Edward frowned at me, looking like he expected me to actually be upset at him. I probably would have if it had happened when I was hopped up on pregnancy hormones. Poor guy had to put up with a lot of tears and a lot of instability the last few months.
I got up and went to sit on his desk, right next to where he sat. "I'm sorry for all of the tears and irrational fears and… everything."
Edward stood between my legs, his hands resting on my hips. "You don't have to apologize for being pregnant, Bella."
I smiled up at him, feeling traitorous tears start to form behind my eyes. I hid my face against his chest and wrapped myself as close to him as possible. There was never a moment when his arms around me didn't bring me peace. Even when I was having contraction after contraction and in what had to be the worst pain imaginable I would look up and he was there. It didn't ease the pain, but it made me feel safe.
"You might have to put up with the irrational tears a while longer," I admitted. Edward's chest shook with laughter.
"I think I can handle that."
Edward finished up what he was working on while I went to change. I didn't have many options, because my body was all kinds of weird sizes after Aiden and the doctor hadn't cleared me to start doing much in the way of physical activity again. I pulled on a blue dress that was flowy enough that I fit into it. The only hassle was getting my breasts to cooperate.
"What am I supposed to do with these?" I mumbled to myself, trying to situate… everything.
"Do you need help?" Edward asked from the doorway, looking at me with a smirk.
"Are you actually going to help or are you going to use it as an excuse to feel me up?"
Edward shrugged, unashamed. "Little of both."
I sighed, looking at myself in the mirror. "I think it's as good as it's going to get. Thank you, though."
As expected, most people were huddled around Aiden as Rosalie held him. A few had obviously done some work in my absence as more decorations covered the area. Balloons were tied to chairs and streamers floated around. There was a cliché It's a boy! sign, but it was surprisingly adorable. Aiden started getting fussy when we walked over despite Rosalie's best efforts to calm him down.
"He misses Edward. He hasn't held him in a few hours. His favorite place to sleep is right next to Edward," I told her, not wanting her to think he didn't like her. She knew he was just a fussy baby, but she looked a little sad she couldn't calm him down.
I thought it was the cutest thing when Aiden would obviously let us know he wanted Edward. He did the same thing to me, but it wasn't as often. It didn't make me sad or jealous that they had such an intense connection, I loved it.
Edward carefully took over and went to sit on the couch next to Heidi as he calmed Aiden down. I heard them start talking numbers so I knew they were talking business and would be distracted for a while.
Elena was surprisingly engrossed in conversation with Emmett and Jasper, and I ended up in a cluster with Alice, Rosalie, and Kate.
"You know you could have told me, Bella," Kate said, looking a little upset.
"I know," I sighed. "The past few months have just been kind of a blur. Everyone always talks about how great pregnancy is but I just don't get it."
"Even though he was my first, I had a pretty easy pregnancy with Alec. Just a little morning sickness the first few months, and then the usual minor aches and pains but nothing too bad."
"I'm with Bella. There were good parts, but it's a lot harder than I ever knew," Alice said.
Kate nodded with a small smile. "Every pregnancy is different. My first was pretty easy compared to my second." Kate sighed and shifted herself toward me. "So, tell me how you found out about this miracle pregnancy."
We talked for a while, some about children and some about life. After a little bit I saw Elena excuse herself from her conversation and wander into the kitchen. I did the same and followed her.
It was still awkward being around her, but it was getting a little better. I found it a little ironic that she was the last parent Edward or I had in the city, the one that should have cared the least about us turned out to be the only one left.
I walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of water and sliding one across the island where she sat. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course. You've got a wonderful family. Not just Edward and Aiden, everyone." It dawned on me that Elena had never really met everyone else. She had run into Rosalie and given her that letter, but that was it.
"Yeah, they're all pretty great," I said honestly.
"Bella… I'm –"
"You don't have to apologize. I'm… glad at how things turned out."
I'd like to think that Edward and I were destined to be together, but odds are if things were different we wouldn't be here. If Elena had kept me Aro could have been my father figure, or he would have killed us before his affair got out.
"Growing up with Renee wasn't ideal, but I would do everything all over again if it meant things turned out like this." I smiled at her from across the island, and she smiled back.
Before either of us could say anything else Edward walked in, sans baby. "Heidi's got him. I'm pretty sure she's having him sign a contract with the firm. Last thing I heard from her was something about your genetics and my hair combined. She did want to talk to you, too, though."
I nodded, leaving Elena and Edward alone. Edward stopped me in the doorway, an arm around my waist, just to press a soft kiss to my forehead before he let me walk by.
Walking into the party, I saw Heidi sitting on the couch with Aiden in her lap, talking animatedly to him. "I never knew you were a baby person, Heidi."
She was married, had been for years, but the subject of babies never came up with her.
"This guy just might convert me," she said with a smile. "We do need to talk about what you want to do, though. I can try to get you out of the Savage press, but I don't know if they'll go for it. Not after everything you did to get the part in the first place."
I sighed. "I know. I'll do it, but it can't be a month-long press tour. A week, maybe two at the most."
Heidi sighed, obviously relieved I wasn't going to make her try to cancel the whole thing. "What about a press release about this guy?"
I knew we needed one, but I didn't like it. I didn't want pictures of my son all over the tabloids, but I also didn't want to hide him away at home all of the time. "Something simple. I don't want to make a big deal out of it."
She nodded. "I'll tell Claire. She's sorry she couldn't be here, she was just swamped with work."
"That's okay. I'm glad you and Kate could come."
Later that afternoon everyone was still lounging around, talking with old friends and making new ones. I remembered Alice's baby shower, all of the women sitting around giving her expensive gifts. That wasn't the kind of celebration I wanted. I liked this quiet get together where everyone could meet my son and none of the focus was centered on me.
I was heading back downstairs after feeding Aiden when I heard voices coming out of Edward's office. I froze right before I passed the open door when I heard Jared in there.
"I just wanted to apologize for everything. I've been talking with Jas- Dad and Emmett a lot lately, about what it is you do. I realized I… want to stand for something. I want to protect my sister and – and our family. I know I have to earn your trust and respect…"
I started feeling guilty for eavesdropping, so I quietly walked past, feeling Edward's eyes follow me past the doorway. Somehow, it seemed like everything was falling into place. I had a house full of family downstairs, and a troubled nephew that finally seemed to be on the right path. Most importantly, I had my son in my arms, healthy and surrounded by love.
It was late that night when I jerked awake, somehow not by the sound of crying or by Edward softly telling me the baby needed to be fed. Edward wasn't next to me, so I pulled myself out of bed and walked down to the nursery with a yawn, just to make sure everything was okay.
The first few nights Aiden was at home, I didn't even want to sleep in our bed. Edward found me the second night, wide awake in the rocker just staring at the sleeping baby. All of the things the doctors told us before we left were constantly running through my mind. Every random disease or illness ran through my head and I felt like if I didn't watch him, if I let my guard down for one second, he would be gone. Edward, being the rational thinker that he was, was able to calm me down and get me back in bed.
Tonight, though, I stood in the doorway of the nursery and watched Edward sway in the rocking chair, Aiden asleep on his bare chest. I remembered the dream I used to have, standing in this exact spot looking at Edward with a baby in his arms. It was a dream that used to leave me crying into his chest in the middle of the night because it was impossible.
Quietly, I walked over and knelt beside the chair, crossing my arms on the armrest. I pressed a soft kiss to Edward's arm, and sleepy green eyes looked down at me.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Did he cry? I didn't hear him."
"No. I just…" he shrugged softly, and I understood. Edward had the sweetest bond with Aiden. I think it was the first few hours they had together. They were each other's only support system while they waited for news about me. Aiden, obviously, was oblivious to the whole situation, but Edward wasn't. I loved watching them together. I had no idea, before, how incredibly sexy it was to watch a man become a father.
"You should get some more sleep," Edward whispered.
I kissed my way up his arm, across his neck, and stopped at his lips. "I love you."
Edward lifted his head and pressed his lips harder against mine, for just a moment. "More than you know, Isabella," he whispered against my lips.
…Dark…
I was entirely too relaxed; I was warm and content and comfortable, and had been for too long. My body jerked awake to find Edward sleeping half on top of me. He grumbled incoherently against my neck, rolling over slightly and taking me with him. That was when I noticed the clock and tried to scramble out of bed.
"He's with Rosalie," Edward told me, pulling me back down.
"What?"
"Rosalie came and picked him up last night after you went to sleep so we could sleep."
"But –"
"I do believe I promised you a post-pregnancy day of fun, did I not?"
He did, I remembered. After one of my not-so-minor freak outs before Aiden Edward had promised me that once he was here and we were all settled he would make a day just for us, to do everything I couldn't while I was pregnant.
"Yes, but –"
"No buts. It's already done. We have another hour and a half to sleep, and I suggest you take advantage of it," Edward said, pulling me so close the only things I could see, feel, or smell were him.
My mind wanted to put up a fight, but my body was too exhausted to follow through.
We got a late start that morning, but it was the first time in the ten weeks since we had Aiden that we could focus on ourselves. Neither of us had to keep an eye on him or stop in the middle of getting ready to feed him or change him. As much as I loved my son, it was quite the treat.
I didn't bother asking any questions about where we were going or what we were doing. It wasn't all that important. I was just looking forward to a relaxing day with my husband.
Edward drove us downtown, and I smiled as he parked under The Isabella. As I turned toward the elevators, he pulled me out of the garage. "Not yet," he told me.
Hand in hand, we walked through the city. I wasn't sure what our destination was, but it was nice to simply be outside. It felt like I had been locked away for months.
Heidi and Claire had released a statement about Aiden weeks ago, and photographers were camped outside Edward's office and the gate in front of our neighborhood for about a month before they gave up. There were articles that said I lied before to make my film interesting, and ones that said I was lying now because no one had seen Aiden. All complete bullshit.
Thankfully the public had mostly moved on from the news, and there were no photographers following us today. I saw people scramble for their phones as we walked by, but there was nothing I could do about that.
I was so lost in my thoughts, distracted by the warmth of the sun on my skin, that I nearly tripped when Edward stopped walking in front of a restaurant. Well, restaurant may be too formal a word for this place. It looked more like a shack.
Walking through the door as Edward held it open, I was skeptical about what we were doing at a place like this. It definitely wasn't his usual choice.
"Edward! It's been too long, my boy," a man greeted from behind a counter. He walked over, his white apron covered in food, and gave Edward a firm handshake.
"Elijah, good to see you," Edward said with a smile. The smile told me this wasn't a business acquaintance, Edward never smiled at them. This was simply an old… friend? Edward didn't really do the friend thing, so I was intrigued.
"Bella, this is Elijah. He runs this dump," Edward told me, mockingly motioning toward the restaurant. "I used to come here when I was in college. Nothing cured a hangover quite like the greasiest burger in town."
"It's nice to meet you," I said with a smile, shaking Elijah's hand and enjoying the playful banter between the two.
"Ah, the woman who tamed this hellion deserves nothing but the best," Elijah said jovially, leading us toward a table in the center of the empty room. It was prime lunch time, and I had to assume that Edward had closed the place down for us.
"Two specials," Edward told him, pulling my chair out for me.
"You got it, kid," he said, walking off toward the kitchen.
"You used to come here in college?" I asked, looking at the eclectically decorated walls. There were photos everywhere, and the most random objects adhered to the walls. But it still felt cozy and welcoming, despite being a bit run down.
"Whenever I could. I never ran into anyone I knew here. It was nice."
"Elijah seems to know you."
"That's because the first time I walked in here he tried to kick me out. Thought I was trying to cause him some trouble. I told him all I wanted was a table in the corner and a burger and he gave in."
I smiled across the table at Edward, picturing him at eighteen and just wanting an escape from his life and wandering into this place. "Did you ever bring any dates here?"
He scoffed. "God, no. Those girls never would have stepped foot in this place. I've never even told Emmett about this place, let alone any of them," he admitted.
"So, all it took was me having your child to be trustworthy enough to come here?"
"If it meant I would have gotten more time with you, I would have brought you here the night I met you." The sincerity in his words made me want to cry, but I held myself together.
Our lunch was delicious; the perfect greasy, unhealthy meal I had been denied for so long. We left Elijah with a promise to come back again and continued our walk around the city. We ended up back at The Isabella, and Edward led me inside this time. When we got up to the penthouse, it was nearly unrecognizable.
"What did you do?" I asked him, looking at all of the new things that surrounded us in the living area. There was a pool table off to the right, and what looked like a… dart board across us on the wall. The lights were dimmed and the curtains shut creating a dark, closed off atmosphere.
"I didn't think you'd want to go to an actual bar, so I created our own. Pool, darts, peanuts, and whatever drink you want."
"How…" I wasn't even sure what I was asking. How did he do it, how did he pull of such extravagant surprises?
With a sigh I walked around the room, running my hand along the pool table. "You know I'm horrible at pool."
"Oh, I know," Edward said, a smile evident in his tone as he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'll teach you how to play and next time Emmett challenges you he'll be in for quite the shock."
That's exactly what we did. Edward made us each a drink and got to showing me how to really play. We would take breaks every once in a while and switch to darts, which I was much better at than pool. We talked about the little things that got pushed aside when a baby got added in the mix.
We were taking a break, lounging on the sofa when an unwelcome thought popped into my head. Something I had been too distracted to think about lately.
"I have a question," I admitted. "But I don't want it to ruin our good mood."
Edward pulled one of my legs in his lap and gently massaged my calf and foot. "One question, then."
He didn't look tense or worried, so I went ahead with it. "What ever happened with Petrov?"
Last I heard Edward said he was responsible for contracting Felix and Demetri to crash his plane. Life got a bit complicated after that, and I didn't have room in my head to worry about him.
"He skipped town," Edward said, unfazed. "He got nervous, but he'll be back. Getting rid of Carlisle made him realize I had no qualms about getting rid of anyone if they got in my way."
Edward talking about how dangerous he was considered by people equally as deadly shouldn't have made my entire body heat up, but it did. Maybe it was the glass of wine I had, my first in months, that had gone to my head. All of a sudden, the simple foot rub and the soft touches along my calf became much more distracting.
Edward seemed unfazed, not feeling the sudden desperation that I felt. Slowly, I pulled my leg out from his grasp and settled myself over his lap. Pressing myself as close as possible to him, I pressed my lips to his softly once. Twice. Three times until he took control, cradling my face between his hands and turning the kiss into much more.
"I missed you so much," I mumbled against his lips, somehow unable to get close enough to him. Edward's hands snuck under my shirt, his warmth making every nerve in my body jolt.
We were moving then. Edward's hands gripped my thighs as he stood and took us to the bedroom. I pulled at his shirt as he walked, reveling in the small patch of skin I was able to get to as he held me.
My back hit the soft bedding as Edward knelt over me, discarding his partially torn shirt. His mossy eyes burned into mine for a moment before he pressed himself into me, his lips devouring mine. My hands reveled in the feel of his back, the strong muscles clenching with his movements, under my fingertips. It was when one of his hands started to dip into the waistband of my jeans that I tensed.
Sucking in a quick breath, I tensed for a moment. Just long enough to get Edward's attention. "Are you okay?"
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as he studied me, looking at me with such care and devotion that it made my reaction even more unnecessary. Edward kissed the tip of my nose, repeating his question when I didn't answer.
"I'm nervous," I admitted with a sigh.
Edward smiled down at me, caressing my cheek. "It's okay."
Everything slowed then; our kisses became languid and hands went from frantic to playful. We took our time to reacquaint ourselves with each other, to become lovers again instead of simply parents.
…Dark…
I love my job. I love my job. I love my job. I repeated my mantra over and over as I was asked the same question for the hundredth time in the last week and a half. At its core, my statement was true. I did love my job, but I considered my job to be acting, not promoting. It was really only the promoting part I had an issue with, because it was pretty fucked up that I got more sleep when taking care of my six-month-old child than I had on this press tour.
With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the countless pictures Edward had sent me since I left home. I missed my husband and my baby, who had more and more personality every day. The little guy had a smile that could break anyone. I got all kinds of pictures as the days went on. Edward and Aiden lying next to each other in bed, Aiden looking so tiny next to his dad. Rosalie had sent me one of Edward and Aiden asleep on her couch, little Aiden resting comfortably on Edward's chest.
I stared at that picture for the last few minutes of my flight to New York. It was my last stop, finally, but I had two days of non-stop interviews here. It was nearing midnight right now and I had to be up in three hours to get to the Today Show. Then the afternoon was filled with reporter after reporter, followed by a couple hours of getting ready for a premiere, then more reporters, then a few hours of sleep, and then shooting an interview with Jimmy Fallon tomorrow afternoon, then I was done.
There hadn't been a time since the trial that I had done press like this, and I knew they were going to be vultures. More often than not, Claire had to step in and tell a reporter they either needed to drop the questions about the trial and my personal life or leave. My first day in New York went on par with that as well.
I was seriously dragging by the time I got to my dressing room for Fallon. I had only managed a text or two from Edward the last day or so, and the coffee in my hands was doing nothing against my exhaustion. The gift basket that was waiting for me did perk me up a bit, what with the Tonight Show themed onesies.
Pulling on my white silk camisole and dark jeans, I stuffed my feet into a pair black heels that would probably get the better of me at some point today. Claire walked with me, reminding me of what to say and what to avoid. Putting on my best smile, I walked out with a wave as my name was announced.
This interview went better than the quick ten-minute sit downs with every little news outlet. It was professional but fun, and the fact that I had known Jimmy for years helped. We talked mostly about me with only a sprinkling of mentioning the movie, but when it was done I couldn't help but have a genuine smile on my face as I walked past the crowd outside to the car. I'm free!
When I got in the car, there was an envelope and a single rose sitting in the seat next to me. Opening the letter slowly, I was greeted with Edward's elegant handwriting.
I know right now you're probably itching to get to the plane, but I have an evening of relaxation waiting for you in your suite. Take the night to take care of yourself; eat, relax, decompress before you come home. You've earned it. Aiden and I will be waiting for you when you get back. All my love, Edward.
With a sigh, I lifted the rose to my nose and inhaled the classic scent. It was conflicting. On one hand I was itching to get on the plane and home to my normal life. I missed my husband and I missed my son. On the other hand, going home to them as exhausted and run down as I was wouldn't do much good.
There was also the fact that Ben was probably instructed to not let me leave the city until tomorrow morning. Fighting it was out of the question.
That night, after an evening of massages and facials, I laid in bed finally feeling like myself again. Sometimes, when I worked, I had to put on a face of someone I knew the public wanted to see me as; someone who constantly had a witty comeback for everything and looked completely put together. That's not to say I was a completely different person when I was working, but sometimes I knew being myself wasn't entertaining enough for late night television.
Edward was right when he said I needed a night alone. Time to decompress and come back down to reality. My life didn't revolve around Hollywood or promoting films anymore. It revolved around my family.
My phone beeped and I quickly reached for it off of the nightstand. There was a picture from Edward of a sleepy Aiden sitting in his lap, with my pre-taped interview on the television in front of him. Fuck, they're cute.
I managed to get the first full night's sleep I'd had in weeks, and by the time I was in the car driving home in Chicago I was an excited mess. My leg was bouncing and my hands tugging at the sleeves of my sweater.
When we pulled up to the house, Edward was sitting on the porch, Aiden in his lap. Looking at them like that, I knew that Aiden was going to turn out to be a younger twin of Edward. His hair was coming in as just a slightly darker version of Edward's, and I had this perfect vision of them side by side.
My heart warmed when Aiden's face lit up when he saw me walk over and Edward quickly handed him to me. The whole parent thing still terrified me, but it was hard to be scared when you had tiny little arms around you.
A/N: The next chapter is taking me a while, just because I keep second guessing myself. It's one I've been thinking of for a long time, but it's hard to get it down. I'll post it as soon as I can, but an outtake from HK might need to get out of my brain to free up space to really focus on this one… We'll see.
Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying this as we're nearing the end! Your reviews make me so so so happy.
